Dress
Unknown Artist
1876–78
Medium
wool, silk
Classification
Dress
Culture
American
Department
Costume Institute
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Charles Edward Freet, 1939
Accession Number
C.I.39.68
Art Historical Context
Step into the refined world of late 19th-century American with this exquisite *Dress* from 1876–78, crafted from wool and silk by an unknown artist. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, this garment the opulent textiles and meticulous construction typical of the Gilded Age, a period of rapid industrialization and social display in the United States. The combination of wool for its durability and structure with silk's luxurious sheen highlights the era's blend of practicality and elegance, often seen in day or evening attire for the emerging middle and upper classes. C...